Blues Art review of Boogie Woogie Pioneers Compiled by John Mayall

22 tracks dating from between 1928 and 1960, with the added interest that these are all favourite performances of British blues legend John Mayall, who besides choosing the selection also contributes some personal sleeve notes, detailing the reasons why he chose each track and what the particular significance of each selection is for him. John has wisely avoided the most obvious titles where possible – Pinetop Smith’s number being an obvious example – but these are all classic recordings anyway! As an introduction to boogie-woogie, this is a real winner – the added interest of these tracks being John Mayall’s formative influences is a noteworthy bonus, particularly for those interested in the British blues.